The invention relates generally to a method for obtaining a geographical position of a mobile device. The invention relates further to a first mobile device, a second mobile device and a system of mobile devices, and a computer program product.
Mobile devices, e.g., in form of smartphones, play a major role in today's consumer and professional life. In particular, mobile devices being equipped with a GPS receiver (Global Positioning System) may map the position of the mobile device on a displayed map on a screen of the mobile device. Users of those devices can directly recognize were they are in a given environment.
However, some mobile phones or, more generally, mobile devices are not provided with a GPS receiver that allows obtaining geographical coordinates and to localize the mobile phone and thus, its user in its geographical environment. Typically, this is the case with cheap mobile phones, not so recent mobile phones or, mobile phones thought only to act as phones (and not as a smartphone). Such mobile phones may be used, e.g., by service personnel.
These mobile phones, even if equipped with maps, cannot provide the exact work position he/she is because the GPS function is missing.
Known prior art describes a GPS function in connection with a Bluetooth connectivity.
Known prior are discloses a method of providing an estimate of the location of a first device comprising the steps of determining the location of the separately housed, second device located near to the first device; providing the location of the second device to the first device; and using the location of the second device as an estimate of the location of the first device.
Known prior art discloses an apparatus and a method to determine the position of a wireless device with Bluetooth capabilites. The method relies on transforming positioning information between devices using Bluetooth technology. If one of these devices “knows” its position because it is in a fixed position or because it has a GPS receiver, then this positioning information can be transferred to other devices in the RF (radio frequency) proximity.
However, mobile devices are subject to relative high power requirements. Known technologies do not yet focus on saving battery power when using remote positioning technologies. Therefore, there is a need for a low-power communication between mobile devices when one mobile device tries to position itself using GPS coordinates of another mobile device.